A Slayer in Roswell
by giftofamber
Summary: Unconventional Couple Crossover with BTVS. Faith Liz Slash. Rest CC. Post TEOTW. Despite everything that has happened, Liz still loves Max. Really, she does. So, why is this new girl so intriguing?
1. Chapter 1

"So this is Roswell, New Mexico," Faith stated flatly as she handed the cab driver his fee and picked up her bags of belongings. She was excited to be somewhere other than Sunnydale or Los Angeles because she wanted a fresh start. She was going to turn her life around. That's what she told the judge at any rate. Her lawyer had gotten her off on a technicality, but the judge had suggested very strongly that she leave California. Of course, normally, she'd have told him to f off, but she thought about it, and the idea of starting a new life, where no one compared her to Buffy or knew about how she had accidentally killed the deputy mayor, was just too tempting. Plus, Roswell, New Mexico had sounded interesting. A town that believed in aliens would certainly not find vampire slaying to be out of the ordinary. She saw a sign that said UFO museum and laughed to herself. She looked across the street and smiled, "Crashdown Café. I bet they need waitresses, and with all that Buffy impersonation I did, I know how to serve."

She entered the Crashdown Café and almost walked right back out the door when she saw the antennas and alien outfits the waitresses were wearing. She reminded herself that she really needed the money, and this town would give her anonymity. She walked right up to one of the waitresses and did her best Buffy impression, "Excuse me, I would like to speak to the owner about job availabilities..." She checked the name tag, "Maria.."

Maria looked the girl up and down. Leather-interesting-she's got spunk, and she's got manners. Still, the girl was a stranger, and in Roswell, strangers were often undercover FBI agents or enemy aliens, "New in town?"

"Yeah, so like do you guys really believe in aliens?" Faith asked, trying to make small talk.

"Not as much as you believe in leather," Maria smiled sweetly. That was at least the twentieth time she'd heard that question in the past 15 minutes. It was like a requirement or something for tourists to ask if Roswellians really believed in aliens.

Faith smiled, "Spunk, like it. Now do I get to chat with the owner at some point or just trade insults with you all day?"

"Liz! This girl wants to talk to your dad," Maria hollered across the restaurant.

"Not now, Maria!" Liz was talking to Martha, another one of the waitresses at the Crashdown. Suddenly, Maria saw Martha throw her order book at Liz and storm out of the café.

"Liz!" Maria called again.

"What is it Maria? This is so not a good time," Liz walked quickly over to where Maria was standing with a new girl. She was mesmerized by the girl's gorgeous slick dark hair, brown eyes, and leather outfit, which perfectly accented the girl's chest area and round hips. Liz blushed when she realized she was checking the girl out. She'd never done something like that before; then again, she'd never seen a gorgeous girl clad in leather this close before. Desperate to get her mind off of the freakiness of checking out a girl, especially considering she was totally and completely in love with Max, her eyes wandered to the duffel bag the girl was carrying, "Going somewhere?"

Faith shook her head and licked her lips at the sight of Liz. She looked cute as a button in that waitress uniform, antennas and all, rather like Buffy, only with dark hair and actually attractive. $If she wasn't so da cute, I'd hate her guts. This job may actually have some benefits worth wearing one of those horrid uniforms.$ Faith replied full well intending the double entendre, "Coming. I was looking for a job, so if someone could point me in the direction of the owner sometime in the next century, we'd be five by five."

"Got any experience?" Liz asked seriously. Seeing as how Martha had just quit, the Crashdown was in need of another waitress, and her gut was telling her to trust this girl. Her intuition could smell a threat a mile away, and this girl seemed genuine.

"Some, just not directly in waitressing. I've got tons of experience in customer service and mollifying an angry crowd. I'm Faith," She went to shake Liz's hand, "I just moved here from Sunnydale, California, and believe me, the crowds there can get vicious," Faith smiled. "I also need a place to stay if you know anywhere."

"Why'd you move to Roswell of all places?" Liz asked incredulously. She'd lived in Roswell all her life. It was home. She couldn't imagine someone actually choosing to live there.

"It's got history. It's also small, which is something I need after living in California," Faith answered.

"You're hired," Liz insisted. "You'll be on a trial basis for two weeks, and you can stay in my family's spare bedroom until you find a place of your own. How does that sound?"

"Five by five," Faith grinned. This was working out perfectly, a little too well. Like the way her arrival in Sunnydale had worked out a little too well. Which could only mean the Powers wanted her in Roswell, New Mexico for some reason.

"Liz, kitchen, NOW!" Maria yanked her best friend toward the kitchen.

"Um, I'll be right back to help you get your uniform and stuff," Liz said, with an apologetic look, as she allowed herself to be dragged to the kitchen. "Maria, what's the problem?"

"Liz, the girl is a complete stranger, and you're inviting her to live with you until she gets on her feet? Where she might find out about the Czechoslovakians? What if she's a Czechoslovakian hunter? We know nothing about her. The only thing going for her right now is that she's not blonde, and did I really just say that out loud?" Maria burst out with her usual hyperness combined with anxiety. Liz was her absolute best friend in the entire world, and normally the logical scientist to boot, but sometimes, like now, Liz just made absolutely no sense to her.

"Maria, it's ok. We can trust her. She's not out to get the Czechoslovakians. She's just a new girl. That's all," Liz tried to calm her friend down, a nearly impossible feat whenever Maria got like this. One of these days, she should try Michael's method of 'get out of the warpath'.

"And how do you know that? Do you know why she came to Roswell? Do you know anything about her?" Maria demanded.

Liz whispered, "I have a feeling, ok? My gut told me when Topolsky was a threat and when she turned to our side, and about Courtney, and to tell you about the Czechoslovakians, and I'm telling you my gut says to trust her and it will be alright. Grandma Claudia told me to follow my heart, and that's what I intend to do."

"That was low. You know how much I adored Grandma Claudia. But, I do trust your gut over anyone else's in the world. You've always had amazing intuition. I guess it won't hurt to be nice to her," Maria concluded.

"I knew I could count on you," Liz smiled and hugged Maria before rushing back out to help the new girl, Faith, get adjusted.

Waiting for Liz to return, Faith surveyed her surroundings. "What have I gotten myself into..." she muttered to herself. "Sure doesn't look like another Hellmouth. Boring." She dismissed her earlier thought that the Powers had sent her here. After all, why send her when they could send Buffy, Miss Because It's Wrong. The Crashdown Café appeared to be your average tourist establishment, except she could tell the tourists from the inhabitants. The tourists were the ones wearing the silly alien T-shirts. Not worth wasting her time, but the people who lived there on the other hand, all looked incredibly boring, except for one blond girl who she noticed was dressed in a similar leather outfit, "Copycat." She stopped cursing the girl under her breath when she noticed that the blond girl, who could clearly get whatever guy she was looking for, was sitting with a guy with humongous ears. She burst out laughing and covered her mouth as Liz walked up to her.

"Sorry about that. C'mon, let's get you a uniform...what is so funny?" Liz smiled awkwardly.

"Oh, nothing. Just looking at the tourists and realizing why your friend freaked when I mentioned aliens. I must have sounded like a lunatic," Faith gave her part of the truth. After all, she didn't want to chance offending the one person who had given her a break in this world, and she didn't know if Liz knew this people.

"Really, it's ok. Everyone asks about the aliens when they first come to Roswell," Liz rolled her eyes. "We make great tips off of it."

Faith grinned, "I'll bet."

"Let's go get you in one of these horridly cheesy uniforms," Liz led her to the changing area and handed her a uniform. She was incredibly anxious for Faith to be wearing anything but that amazingly tight leather which made her think things she'd never dreamed would come out of her mind.

Liz's eyes grew wide when Faith started changing right in front of her without a care for modesty. Within milliseconds, the leather jacket was on the bench. Liz's face turned the color of strawberries as she stared mesmerized, watching Faith strip a v-neck, skin-tight, short sleeve, white shirt from her milk-colored body. Liz desperately tried to think of anything else, her mind finally landing on the thought of what Michael had used when he was trying to avoid Maria. She muttered, "Mud," and successfully turned around. $Max, why can't I think of Max? I love him. Yes, he's acting like a jerk right now, but that's my own doing. If I hadn't pretended to sleep with Kyle, Max would still trust me and wouldn't be staking me out to see if I was still looking for Alex's killer. I need to prove to him he can still trust me and checking out a girl is not the way to do that.$

"So do you know who the blond girl wearing all the leather and the guy sitting next to her with the big ears are? I know you said it was a small town, and they looked like they were from around here," Faith racked her brain thinking of small talk. Was Liz just checking her out? The girl was amazingly attractive, and after Willow's amazing luck with a girlfriend and Faith's own poor luck with men, Faith was willing to consider a relationship with a girl. Just one thing, Liz seemed a bit too innocent, too pure, too Buffy-like. She hired a girl dressed in leather without even asking for references–definitely way too trusting. Faith was interested in someone who reminded her of Buffy. Boy, would her old psychiatrist have fun with that one.

Liz smiled at the reference to Max's big ears. She'd always thought his ears were cute, "You mean Max and Isabel Evans? They're friends of mine, well, sort of. We aren't getting along right now."

"How come?" Faith asked as she buttoned her uniform and put her hair in a loose ponytail.

Liz gritted her teeth, "It's destined."

"Say no more. Me and destiny have this wonderful history," Faith grinned. She had always loved her destiny of hunting vampires, demons, and otherworldly creatures. She'd confronted her feelings about killing a human being, and she'd realized she didn't have to continue to be a horrible person because she'd done one terrible thing. Thus, she was able to go back to killing unnatural beings for the good of mankind with a clear conscience, not to mention raging hormones. "You can turn around now. I'm dressed."

Liz turned around slowly, praying her blush had dissipated. "Yup, cheesy," she commented on the uniform.

"It ain't leather," Faith shrugged.

Liz smiled, "Good point." She walked over to where the order books were kept and handed a blank one to Faith. "How bout you go to Max and Isabel's table first? They'll be pretty forgiving of a new waitress. Just remember, when customers say weird sounding words like Alien Blast or Galaxy Sub, those are on the menu. Here's a copy of the menu if you want to peruse it before you head over."

"Aren't we just full of SAT words today? Yeah, I'll look at it. How hard can it be?" Faith looked at the menu and memorized it almost instantly. Alien Blast and Galaxy Sub really were on the menu. This was getting stranger by the minute.

She put her pen behind her ear as she saw that's where Liz had hers and headed straight for the table with the guy with the big ears, Max Evans. To hide her nervousness, she decided to start off with a joke.Faith put her fingers in the air in a Vulcan salute, "I come in peace."

Max gave her an odd look and looked to Liz for guidance, "Um, ok?"

Smiling, although not understanding why he looked so uncomfortable, Faith continued, "So how are things on Planet Vulcan?"

Max shot daggers at Liz and got up without a word, grabbing Liz's arm and dragging her into the back where they were alone. "What did you tell her? It's not enough that you're talking about aliens murdering Alex to people at school; you have to tell perfect strangers about us? Is this some kind of revenge? This isn't like you, at least I don't think it is, but what do I know about you anymore after you slept with Kyle."

"Let go of me," Liz declared authoritatively. "No, I didn't tell her anything. I should have, but I didn't. And you know what, I probably won't have to. When you dragged me off like that, you incriminated yourself."

Liz's assertive attitude shocked Max back to reality. He should have known she wouldn't betray him. This was Liz, the girl he'd loved since third grade. He reminded himself: that was before he found out his destiny and before she slept with Kyle. A lot had changed since then, "Liz...I...I'm just trying to..."

"Trying to what, Max?" Liz was thoroughly disgusted with how she was being manhandled. "I asked you to let go of me."

He immediately released her hand, the shock emanating from his face. What had he done, what was he doing? This behavior wasn't him. Or it was, but it wasn't. He'd never yell at Liz. He'd never hurt her. Even when he found her with Kyle, he had just walked away. "Liz, I'm sorry."

She looked at him, not sure what to think. Max had never done anything like that before. All she knew was she needed to get back to her shift and out of his sight as quickly as possible, "Later. We'll talk later." She scooted past him out the door to the kitchen, passing through Michael flipping burgers...and was that Tess? Nah, she hadn't come with Max and Isabel. Her mind must be playing tricks on her, wanting her to blame Tess for the fact that she couldn't be with Max–at least she couldn't be with Max until Tess fulfilled whatever vital purpose in destroying their enemies.

As Liz burst through the kitchen without noticing her presence, Tess smiled slightly. Her mindwarp must have worked. When Max emerged looking like he'd been run over by a truck, she knew her other mindwarp must have worked as well.

Michael looked over at Tess, "What do you want?"

"Nothing. Just to say hi. I can go now if you want," Tess put on her best innocent face.

Michael looked at her blankly, focused more on the burgers, "Whatever."

Tess smiled and walked back out toward the table where Max had joined Isabel. She saw a new waitress getting their order and added her own order to the mix, "I'd like a burger and cherry coke, with extra tabasco." She then sat down next to Max, putting her arm around him, pretending he didn't flinch at her touch.

Faith took down the order, noticing that Max didn't appear to want this blond girl touching him and that Liz looked upset and had pulled Maria aside. This must be the "destiny" Liz had been talking about, but it didn't explain why she got a nauseous feeling as soon as the blond girl with the curls–the one that wasn't Isabel--had walked over to the table.

"Can I help you with something?" Tess looked at the new girl expectantly.

Faith looked at her, "No, but Bilbo over here might be able too. I'm Faith."

"I'm Tess, and this is Max and Isabel. You new here?" Tess pretended to be interested in the introductions.

"You could say that," Faith replied. "I'll just take this to the kitchen." She had a bad feeling about that girl. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling she'd be fighting this girl a lot in the near future. She rationalized, this girl, Tess, obviously made Liz miserable, and therefore it was Faith's responsibility to kick Catwoman's butt.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2 A Crisis of Faith

Sauntering through the only cemetery in Roswell later that night, Faith contemplated her situation. When she'd gone home with Liz after work, the Parker house looked exactly as Faith had predicted—way too much like the Summers' house in Sunnydale. Not so much in outward appearance as the atmosphere. In fact, the resemblance was striking enough to make Faith feel entirely uncomfortable with the prospect of staying there for one night let alone an extended stay. On the other hand, saving money on a room was always a good thing.

Faith was almost convinced that Roswell was a perfectly normal town when she saw the most peculiar symbol glowing blue in the middle of the cemetery. She looked at the headstone—Sheila Hubble. "In all my days of slaying, I have never seen anything like this. Where is Wesley when you need him?" Faith muttered to herself, memorizing the pattern of the symbol. Her Slayer sense suddenly went off. Someone-or something-was watching her. "All right, you can come out now, or be dead when I find you later."

Maria crept out from behind a headstone, "Sorry. I came by to visit Alex and freaked out when I saw you here. What are you doing here? Oh…."

Faith saw the look of recognition in Maria's eyes, "You recognize this symbol?"

"No, of course not. I've never seen anything like that before in my life. I have to go. Goodbye," Maria babbled and tried to run the other direction.

Faith easily stopped her. Being a Slayer had its advantages. "Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't born in the 1800s. Just tell me what's going on."

Maria looked at her and thought about how firm a grip Faith had and how easily she had been caught, "Who are you? You're an FBI agent, aren't you? Let me go!"

"An FBI agent? What would the FBI want with Roswell? What do you know about this symbol?" Faith was flabbergasted. Liz had led her to believe Roswell was a perfectly normal town. Still, normal teenagers in a normal town don't make assumptions of being followed by the FBI. It was obvious that Faith was going to have to do something to make Maria trust her. "Look, I deal with weird s all the time. If there's something wrong, I do my best to fix it."

"Why?"

"It's sorta my destiny."

"You did not just say that," Maria looked at her strangely.

"Yeah, Liz gave me the idea you've been dealing with a lot of unpleasant destiny lately. Is this part of it?" Faith asked.

"Sort of. Look, Liz seems to think you are trustworthy. Can I trust you?"

Faith reached inside herself. Wasn't this a difficult question: can I trust you? Faith couldn't even trust herself; how could she expect anyone else to? But she certainly wasn't an FBI agent. "Well, I'm not an FBI agent; they don't even like me very much."

"You're right; you're not blond."

"Um, ok. So about the symbol?" Faith tried to change the subject.

"See, Max has this 'destiny', and this symbol is related to that. We have to get back and tell Liz what's going on," Maria said urgently.

Finally, something that makes sense. Liz probably knew way more about this than Maria and would be willing to tell her flat out what was going on. "Lead the way," Faith said.

"Aren't you going to let go of me?" Maria asked.

Faith grinned, "I suppose."

"Liz, I need to talk to you about the Czechoslovakians," Maria insisted. As it was so late at night, she and Faith had gone up the fire escape to Liz's balcony.

"Ok, Maria. Faith, would you mind giving us a few minutes alone?" Liz requested.

"Well…"

"Actually, Liz, let her stay. You trust her, right?" Maria butted in as usual.

"Oh dear, yes, but…" Liz didn't know quite how to say it, but she knew letting Faith in on the story would upset Max, and if she didn't need to, she didn't want to hurt him again. Plus, she'd just met Faith and wanted to give her a good impression, not get her mixed up in the alien mess.

"Either you trust her, or you don't. Follow your heart, remember?" Maria reminded her.

Liz sighed, "Max won't like it." Follow your heart: was that always such difficult advice? She didn't know which way her heart was taking her. On the one hand, there was Max, who she knew she loved, until he found his destiny. On the other hand, there was this new girl, who was quite attractive and as far as she knew, had no other wife from another planet somewhere.

"Does he ever?"

"I hadn't planned on telling her so soon," Liz said. For some reason, she felt awfully embarrassed about the whole thing. A part of her life she was trying to put behind her was threatening to interfere with her ability to move on to the future. Max's destiny didn't include her, and she needed to find her own destiny. Could Faith be a part of that destiny?

"Hello, people! I'm standing right here," Faith's impatience won out.

"Sorry," Liz apologized, "I just…ok, she can stay. What happened, Maria?"

"Well, I went to the cemetery to visit Alex, and I saw her standing by Sheila Hubble's grave, and the orb symbol was glowing in the ground over her grave, and I came back here to get you," Maria summed up quickly.

"The orb symbol?" Faith asked.

Liz answered, "It's a communication symbol. Someone is trying to tell us something. On Sheila Hubble's grave?"

"Who is Sheila Hubble?"

"Everett Hubble's late wife. Nasedo killed her and her unborn child. He claims it was to ensure his survival," Liz shuddered.

"Don't you have a picture of her somewhere?" Maria asked.

"Oh, that's right. I don't know why I kept it. I thought it would be important someday, I guess. Kyle gave them to me. He said she looked like me, and that he thought I should have them. Don't ask how he got them from his dad," Liz smiled. "Here, take a look."

Faith examined the photographs. There was a strong resemblance. The woman of the photograph looked to be in her 30s. "Why is there a silver handprint on her?"

Liz's eyes cast down, "That's how she died. The same way that Max saved me—Nasedo used to kill her. The handprint is an after-effect."

"So that means Max is…" Faith prompted.

"An alien-human hybrid," Maria butted in. "Now, he can be mad at me and not you, Liz."

"Now, I know why you thought I was an FBI agent. Logically speaking, this would be telling us that something about her death is unfinished."

"Or that Nasedo is back in town," Liz continued. "Either way, I don't like it. Maybe this has something to do with Alex's death."

"I take it Alex didn't die a natural death?"

"I don't think so. Can I ask you a question? What were you doing at the cemetery?" Liz finally got up the courage to ask the question her scientific mind couldn't answer. After all, Faith was new here, and logically, wouldn't be visiting anyone there.

"I figured you'd get around to that eventually. I'm not as good at this whole trust thing like you are. Can I keep that to myself for a while?" Faith could just imagine Liz and Maria becoming her Slayerettes like Willow and Xander. She wasn't ready for that.

"I suppose everyone is entitled to their secrets," Liz responded solemnly. She could read the pain in Faith's eyes. She could tell that Faith's life had been full of emotional trauma and betrayal. She only hoped that she could prove to her that she wouldn't betray her.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"If Max saved you, why does he hurt you so much?" Faith's candor made Liz start to question things she didn't want to question. She felt like Faith was able to see her very heart and soul—a feeling that made her feel anxious and safe at the same time.

Liz summed up her answer in one word, "Destiny."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I realize that this chapter is a bit plot heavy. I promise a not so plot heavy chapter coming up ;) It took an awfully long time for this b/c I had to force myself to re-watch some painful episodes to get the background info.

Chapter 3

"Destiny and I don't exactly get along very well," Faith admitted.

Maria smirked, "There's a lot of that going around.

"So, what does Destiny have to do with…Max?"

"It's really a long story. Max wasn't the only alien-human hybrid in Roswell. Isabel, Michael, and….Tess….are also from another planet, called Antar. These orbs kind of told them about their destiny…" Maria continued.

"A destiny which does not include me," Liz finished, bravely. "I heard it with my own ears, but I didn't want to believe it. Neither did Max. But we have to accept it."

Faith was skeptical, "That sounds awfully fatalistic." _On the other hand, if she and Max don't work out…_

"Yeah, well, there was this whole End of the World thing, and Liz had to push him away, and he went straight to Tess," Maria explained.

"In order to fight their enemies, the four of them needed to be a strong team and work together," Liz still sounded as though she were trying to convince herself. "But then Alex died, under mysterious circumstances—which Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess won't accept because that would mean they were responsible."

"Which is probably how our fates intertwine," Faith mused. "On the other hand, this orb was not next to Alex's grave; it was next to Sheila Hubble's grave."

"But there could still be a link," Liz insisted.

Faith could see where Liz's priorities were. The orb could wait; avenging her friend's murder couldn't. "Who are your suspects in Alex's death?"

"Nasedo—he's killed before, but he should have known Alex wouldn't be a threat to him. The Skins—that's their enemies," Liz answered.

"Tess. Don't forget about Tess. I don't trust her," Maria put forth.

Faith looked at her quizzically, "Because?"

"She's blond."

"Of course. What does being blond have to do with anything?"

"All of the people 'new in town' that have lied to us recently have all been blond. Tess, Topolsky, Courtney…"

"But aren't you blond?"

"No, I dyed it."

"So fake blonds don't count. Check. If Tess is an alien-human hybrid, what are her powers?"

"She can mindwarp people—make them think they are seeing things they aren't. Plus, she's after Max."

"That's a power?"

"No, but it is a motive," Maria explained, "and murderers have to have a motive."

"They also need to have opportunity. What makes you so sure this was a murder?" Faith inquired.

Liz explained, "When Alex got back from Sweden—well supposedly got back from Sweden, he was acting really strange. Confident, depressed—well just strange. Anyway, right before he died, he signed a receipt with this number, and said some very depressed things to the delivery guy. He died in a car wreck, and everyone thought he had tried to kill himself, but I found concert tickets in his room, and people who are going to kill themselves don't make plans for the future."

"It's not much, but it's enough to put the question out there. We don't know if Nasedo is even around, so I guess we start with Catwoman," Faith smiled. "I have ways of making people—and aliens—talk, and for you, I'll do it." She got up to leave.

"Hey, wait—tomorrow is soon enough, and she's probably sleeping by now," Liz stopped her, pointing to the clock, which read 2 a.m.

"Where I come from, evil creatures don't sleep. I'll be back soon," Faith grinned. She was gone before Maria and Liz could argue further. Her Slayer instincts began to kick in; there were two logical places for Tess to be at this hour. The first was with Max, messing with his head, and the second was at home in bed. Only problem was: she didn't know where either place would be. Being a stranger in this town did make things a little harder than in Sunnydale. If only she still had a Watcher…well, Roswell was a small town; how hard could it be to find them?

After a half hour of wandering, she found a house with a light on; she felt in her gut this had to be the place.

"Took you long enough," Liz smiled, appearing from her hiding place right behind Faith. She decided she liked the way Faith walked, like she was daring someone to attack her and get pummeled.

Faith spun around and put Liz in a headlock before realizing who had followed her. "I'm...I'm sorry. Please don't sneak up behind me like that."

"On edge much? I figured you might want a tour guide, since you know, you're not from here," Liz put her hand to her throat, still in pain from Faith's grip. She was really strong; maybe she would be able to go up against whoever killed Alex.

Faith had turned pale. Reacting without thinking was how she had wound up in prison, and had just nearly cost another…friend's…life. "If you're here, where is Maria?"

"Over here. Quiet, both of you, or they'll see us."

Nodding, Faith motioned to the two of them to stay where they were and snuck up to the lit window, flinching on the way as she noticed the cop car in the driveway. She saw Tess and another high school boy sitting next to her looking through magazines. _Pretty boring for someone that is the root of all evil. Is this what my life has come to? Fighting evil creatures that prey on high school boys and force them to look through Playboy?_

The boy looked up suddenly, as though he had heard something and came to the window. She crouched lower. He opened the window, looked around, and said, "Tess, I think you're imagining things." He went to shut the window and left it open a crack.

"Liz is probably sleeping. If I didn't know we thought of each other like siblings, I'd say you were jealous," he teased.

_If I didn't know better, I'd say he wanted us to hear what was going on_, Faith thought to herself. She listened intently to the conversation.

"Kyle, you know she's after Max. Girls do crazy things when they think they are in love," Tess continued. "Would you please check outside anyway and make me feel better?"

"My dad will want to know what on earth is going on when he sees me outside in the middle of the night," Kyle reasoned.

"C'mon, he would never have to know. Please?" Tess looked at him and scrunched up her eyes.

Kyle's demeanor changed slightly. His voice sounded slightly robotic, "Of course. I'll be right back."

Faith snuck back out to the bushes by the street where Liz and Maria were hiding as quickly as she dared—she did not want any cops on the scene. Besides, she had seen what she had needed to see. She whispered, "Time to bolt. She's sending out the cavalry."

Maria's face turned ashen, and Liz looked a little queasy. Liz whispered confidently, "my place. Keep to the shadows."

Maria whispered, "You sound like you've done this before; when have you done this before? I don't remember you telling me you've done this before."

"Save the babbling for when we get home," Liz replied in a whisper.

Maria nodded and followed Liz and Faith back to Liz's house. Her tension level had reached a dangerous level, causing her to take out her cypress oil and inhale deeply. She believed Liz wholeheartedly that something not quite normal had happened to Alex, as a result of the concert tickets, and the knowledge that Alex hadn't really gone to Sweden. On the other hand, she didn't know where Alex was in the intervening months when he was "in Sweden".

When all three had snuck back up the fire escape onto Liz's balcony, Faith burst out, "She's controlling him somehow. He sounded very robotic. She could definitely have pulled something off. We just have to find a way to get her alone to prove it."

"Or we start finding other ways to fill in the gaps. We know Alex never went to Sweden, but we don't know where he did go, or why," Liz reasoned.

"Back up: how do we know he never went to Sweden?"

"Because we called the family he was supposedly staying with, and they'd never heard of him. Also, the picture of him and Leanna standing in front of a building—there is no building that looks like it in Sweden."

"Did he contact either of you while he claimed to be in Sweden?"

"By cell mostly…..and he sent me some emails," Maria answered thoughtfully.

Liz looked up excited, "That's it! Emails can be traced!" Suddenly, her eyes were downcast, "but I don't have the computer knowledge to do that."

Faith started to think, _Willow was our computer guru, but she won't help me after all I put her through. One thing about starting fresh: you have to depend only on yourself and your own knowledge. But Liz and Maria….they know the area….they must know someone who can deal with this computer stuff. That's what Slayerettes are for, right? Maybe having a few Slayerettes isn't such a bad thing._

Maria smiled, "That's ok; I know who does. I'll just put on a little 'Maria' charm, and we'll have our answers in no time."

"Not a word of this to Max, Michael, or Isabel. They'll just try to stop us, and we really owe this to Alex."

"We also owe him that memorial—the student assembly. You promised you'd help with it."

"You're right; I have some ideas. You could write a song, and I'll get some of his old family videos we could use for background."

Maria smiled, "Good. I was beginning to worry that you were so focused on finding Alex's murder you'd forget about the assembly."

"Now that we have some help, I can do both," Liz smiled at Faith.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The girls decided to call it a night, and Maria left via the fire escape for home. As Faith got up to go to the guest room to catch a catnap, she heard Liz quietly pipe up behind her, "Please, don't go."

Faith turned around; their eyes met, silently communicating the words neither wanted to say.

"I…don't want to be alone tonight. With Tess and Nasedo out there…I'm usually this strong person capable of anything, but this is all just too much. Please," Liz begged softly. _One soul reaches out to another in darkness, and together, they seek the light._

Faith repressed her impulse to go over and take what she wanted. _Think like Buffy. __She's not in love with me; she's in love with Max. She probably has no idea the torture she's putting me through with those gorgeous brown eyes. So why don't I just go over there and take advantage? The old me would have done just that. Now I just keep thinking, what would Buffy do?—or in this case, what would Willow do? _"Listen, if it will make you feel better, I'll bring some bedding in here and sleep on the floor," Faith acquiesced.

Liz looked at her strangely, "Sleep on the floor? That's silly; you can share the bed with me. I don't bite. Maria even swears I don't snore, and she's the most honest person I know."

_ Is she really that naïve? Spend a few hours lying next to her…I don't know if that's a good idea. On the other hand, she'll think it odd if I don't. F this, I'm thinking too much. _"Whatever. The sun'll be up in a few hours anyhow." Faith stripped down to her spaghetti strapped white shirt and boxers before she could change her mind. She laid down and closed her eyes, determined not to think about what Liz was wearing or that she was going to be in the same bed.

Liz turned beet red at Faith's lack of modesty. _She's a girl. It's just like when Maria comes over and spends the night. Oh, who am I kidding? _Liz berated herself and changed into her pink silk pajamas. _Am I really still in love with Max? How could I have these feelings if I was? He's been downright not himself lately, but I have to accept that I am not his destiny and move on. _She smiled to herself as she climbed into bed, _this is going to be one interesting journal entry._

Faith quickly drifted off into slumber, but her dreams proved no less troubling. A whirlwind of images ensured that she not forget the evil that hung in the air. She heard a guitar strumming and moved toward the sound only to find a teenage boy mindlessly tapping the outside of the guitar, muttering something about prom. He seemed to have a depressed air about him. _Who are you? Are you Alex?_

The boy continued to stare at his guitar, ignoring her presence. "Isabel, it's been a long time since you've been in my dreams. I was sure you'd forgotten me after the prom."

_ I've not been in your dreams before. What happened at the prom?_

"You were a vision of beauty as always. Are you here to break my heart again? If you are, you are a bit late."

_ What do you mean?_

He laughed bitterly. "You will see."

She saw a blond girl walk into the room with him. The girl had an eerie aura about her and looked awfully familiar. The blond curls….._Tess!_ _No, this can't be happening. I have to stop this._ Helpless to move, she watched the two of them begin to argue as though she were not there, followed by a flash of red light filling the room. Now, the boy to whom she had spoken was laying on the floor, silent, and another boy she recognized from earlier as Kyle—was carrying him out the door like a mindless zombie. Before they shut the door, Tess looked directly at her, as though she knew Faith was watching. _She wants me to watch….but why?_

A voice inside her head answered, "Leave us alone. You do not belong here. You don't know what you are getting yourself into."

_ I never do. That won't stop me from kicking you into next week_, Faith's ire forced herself awake with a small scream.

When the sun rose, Liz was still wide awake. Even with Faith right next to her, she couldn't stop worrying about Alex's murderer still being out there. Plus, no matter how hard she tried, she kept thinking about her fight with Max and where Faith fit into the picture. _No one ever said following your heart was easy. Maybe if I search deep inside myself enough, I'll find my own fate lines. I know Max's Destiny, but do I know my own? Is it possible for me to have a Destiny completely separate from Max's? Before I met Max, all I thought about was getting into Harvard and becoming a scientist, probably a biologist. With all the alien craziness, I've let myself get distracted, constantly worrying about saving the world. Yet, the world I am saving is one in which Max and I are star-crossed. He and I used to be soulmates, but…. I don't know who he is anymore, and I'm not sure I want to._

_ Then, there is Faith; someone without a Destiny or alien craziness, which I desperately need right now. But is this just a flight of fancy, a rebound thing that I'll look back on later as something stupid I did with mustard? What do I really know about her, besides of course, the fact that I nearly go speechless every time I see her? She's not from around here, but she seemed to adjust quickly to the idea that aliens are real. There has to be a reason for that….but somehow in my heart I know that I can trust her. _She gazed gently at Faith, who was still comatose, but making odd faces, almost as though she were having nightmares. She put her hand to Faith's head, and her eyes shut as if of their own accord. A rush of images spilled into her mind—something that had only happened before with Max—but instead of a sense of safety, the images were accompanied by terror and a paralyzing anxiety. Her face grew white as a ghost, "Dear G-d, she did it. She killed Alex."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Max, wait! I have to talk to you," Liz had been trying to catch him all morning. She prayed that he would be able to sense her urgency and listen. Sure, the two of them hadn't really been talking since the whole Alex murder/suicide argument, but they stood a better shot of taking Tess down working together. Besides, now, he had to believe her. She had 'alien proof'. Instead of stopping, he turned the corner, heading for his next class. _Fine, if that's the way you want to play it. I won't beg. I have other options, _she thought as she saw Michael sauntering through the halls. She timed it so that the two of them collided, and she pushed him into the janitor's closet with her and shut the door.

"Woah, normally, I'd be flattered and all, but Maria would…" Michael smiled. He found it incredibly amusing that his girlfriend's best friend had locked him in the make-out closet with her.

"Oh, get over yourself," Liz rolled her eyes, "I had to talk to you privately. Max won't listen to me, and it's really important."

"Ok, you have my attention. What's so important?"

"Tess killed Alex."

"Another one of your delusions? I know you hate the girl and all, but don't you think that's a bit harsh?" Michael shook his head. _No wonder Max wouldn't listen to this._

"It isn't a delusion. Alex never went to Sweden. Tess had us all mindwarped. Maria's been in on our investigation too, if you don't believe me. Tess came into our dreams last night—like Isabel can, and we saw the whole thing," Liz was frantic. _He has to believe me; he just has to._

"She went into Maria's dreams?" Michael was a bit incredulous. _After all, Maria certainly hasn't sent me 30 text messages this morning._

"Well, I don't know if she went into Maria's dreams too; Maria's absent today. Probably too scared to come to school," Liz explained.

"So the 'we' would be?"

Liz replied, "Me and Faith. Please, Michael, you have to believe me."

Michael sighed, "Even if I did believe you, what could we do about it? She and Max have been inseparable."

"Exactly—don't you find that odd?"

"Ok, I'm not saying I do or don't believe you, but for Maria's sake, I will get him to sit down and talk to you. Be in the physics lab after school," Michael said.

Liz moved over to hug him before he could react, 'Thank you!"

"What are you doing here?" Max glared at Liz. _Couldn't she tell I don't want to hear her crazy delusions? I thought I had made that clear. And, now, she's got Michael in on it. I can't wait to get him alone in a room…_

Liz made sure the door was locked, "Tess killed Alex."

Max shook his head, "No one killed Alex. It was an accident; nothing more. Tess would never hurt anyone.

"You have been a lot of things in the past few months, but I never thought you were stupid. She can mindwarp you into thinking what she wants you to think—just like when we got you out of the White Room. You used to trust me," Liz was near tears.

For a split second, Max's expression softened, and he forgot why he was so angry, "A lot has happened, but I do care about you."

She fell into his arms, tears flowing quickly. She just needed to feel his arms around her; the Max that she knew and loved.

After a few seconds, Max backed up, "Liz, I have something to tell you."

"What?" She began to dry her tears.

"Tess and I…we're pregnant."

Stunned, Liz responded slowly, "How could you….?"

"You had just slept with Kyle, and she was there for me. I guess I wanted to even the score or something," Max replied.

"I never slept with Kyle," The truth finally emerged from her lips. "You asked me to make it look like I did to prevent the End of the World, but right now, I'm not so sure I care."

Max was dumbfounded, "You never? I never?"

Liz stared him straight in the eyes, "Did you at least love her?" She wasn't sure if a 'yes' response would make things better or worse.

"Not like I love you," Max whispered softly.

Somehow, those words seared through her heart worse than a direct 'yes' would have. Liz grew uncharacteristically sarcastic, "No, because you weren't destined to marry me and get me pregnant. I don't know what I saw in you."

"I…don't know what to say."

Liz responded, "You got a murderess pregnant. There's not much you can say. So, are you going to help me or not?"

"Liz, my baby…can't survive in this atmosphere. Tess and I have to take him back to Antar. I understand how you feel, but it's my baby," Max was firm. "I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize him, and right now, that means keeping Tess safe."

"So that's your decision," Liz readied herself for his response. She would have to do this on her own. Well, not totally alone, but definitely, without Max. He'd just put a permanent distance between them.

Max pleaded, "Please don't get in our way."

"You've made your decision, and I've made mine," Liz was resolute.


	6. Chapter 6

"Would you mind closing up

Chapter 6

Liz went through the rest of the school day numb from shock. Normally, at times like this, Maria would be right there to snap her out of it, but she had called off. Besides, Liz just didn't want to bother her. After all, Liz was just going to keep herself busy at work and not think about Max.

Waiting tables was rather mindless since she had done it for so long. "Two Blood of Martian Smoothies coming up," she wrote down on her notepad and went to call in the order to the kitchen. She was so focused she didn't even register when Faith came in to take over Maria's shift.

"Liz. Liz….Hey, Harvard Girl!" Faith became increasingly frustrated trying to get Liz's attention. "Is something wrong? You just gave Table 6 a Sea Space Port instead of Unidentified French Frying Objects."

Liz finally looked up, her eyes still glazed over, "It's nothing. I'll fix it."

"It isn't nothing. You never mess up an order." Faith lowered her voice, "If this is about Tess and what we found out this morning, don't worry about her. I've got your back."

"No, we can't do anything to her," Liz's voice ached with frustration and depression. She looked at Faith urgently, "Promise me, you won't do anything to her."

Faith was puzzled, "Why?"

"I can't tell you. Just promise," Liz begged.

Faith shrugged, "Ok, I promise."

"Would you mind closing up?" Liz asked, with a forced smile.

Faith grinned, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "Whatever you say, Li." She surprised herself with Liz's new nickname. _Liz's getting more and more like B every day. I suppose it makes sense to give them similar nicknames when they are being drama queens._

"Thank you," Liz replied with a dissociated look still on her face, not catching the sarcasm. With the customers gone, her happy facade would no longer be necessary, and she would be free to be miserable to her heart's content. She looked to make sure that Faith was in the back cleaning. Reassured she was alone, she sat down at Max's table, pulled his picture out of her uniform, and cried her eyes out. After the shock of Alex's death, she thought nothing would faze her. She was wrong; her world continued to crumble. Maxwell Evans, the love of her life, broke her heart again, this time permanently. He had gotten Tess pregnant, and he was going to leave her for his home planet, and the worst part was when she'd asked if he loved Tess, and he hadn't denied it. 'Not like I love you.' She'd never forget those words or how they seared a hole in her heart.

Faith finished cleaning up and looked over to see Liz still sitting at the table. "C'mon, you lazy bum, you ask me to close up and then you're still here," she paused in her litany as she realized Liz had her hair covering her face and was shuddering with tears. The sight evoked feelings of sympathy, which Faith immediately closed off. She inquired sarcastically, "What does Miss Perfect have to cry about?"

Liz moved to wipe her tears, but found that she could not stop crying, "It's...nothing."

Faith noticed the picture Liz was clutching. "Something happened at school….what did he say to you?" she was getting pissed off. Why was Liz letting this prick get to her?

"Nothing. Please….I can't talk about it…" Liz pleaded, her head in her hands.

Faith moved to put her hands on Liz's shoulders, firmly at first, slowly melting into tenderness. Liz wordlessly buried her head in Faith's chest, and Faith held her until the tears had subsided. "You know, I could take advantage of this; a hot chick, vulnerable, and so close to me—you're really testing my willpower here."

Liz gazed up at her, silently making her decision. She moved up to kiss her tenderly, "Take advantage of me, please. I need you tonight."

Faith had never been very good at thinking before acting, and those words were the only prompting she needed. Her kisses started out tender, but as she lost herself in the feel of Liz up against her, she noticed her kisses becoming more urgent, realizing that she needed Liz just as much as Liz needed her. She ran her fingers up and down Liz's arms, eliciting a squeal of pleasure.

Liz pulled away briefly, unable to handle the strong wind of emotions running through her. Was she just trying to get back at Max? Was that fair to Faith, who seemed genuinely interested in her? Yet, when Faith touched her arm, she thought she was going to explode. Maybe she hadn't been in love with Max like she had thought? Or, maybe, she had simply cried herself to the point of moving on. She'd never experienced anything like this; she kept expecting to have some sort of vision, but none came. Well, at least none like she'd had with Max; this was very different and special. She closed her eyes and saw the stars in the Venus formation; normally, this would upset her, but seeing the signs of destiny in connection with Faith lifted her spirits tremendously. Knowing that her path had finally changed course and that she was with the person for whom she was truly destined, Liz felt a sense of peace, which she hadn't felt since she had seen the vision of Max's mother.

Faith gazed into her eyes, seeming to guess the cause of her reticence, "I would never hurt you like that."

"I know," Liz smiled, "you make me feel like everything is going to be ok."

Raising her eyebrows, Faith leaned in to kiss her again, "Didn't I tell you to stop reading fairytales?"

"So you aren't my fairytale princess come to rescue me from the evil frog?" Liz giggled.

"Not unless said frog has really big ears," she teased. She touched Liz's cheek tenderly, "hot girls shouldn't be thinking about frogs anyway."

"And what should they be thinking about?"

Faith moved closer, feeling the heat of their lips merging in ardent unison. She'd imagined this moment so many times, but nothing compared to the real thing. Her hands moved of their own volition under the petite brunette's offending blouse, aching to touch and caress her velvety skin. She stopped momentarily as she touched lace; the breasts beneath were surprisingly hard and aroused. Reaching behind her lover, she undid the clasps with relative ease, removing both garments audacious enough to get in her way. She kissed a trail from lips to chest, fervently suckling on one breast while cupping the other gently in her hand.

Liz's sighs of pleasure became increasingly audible. Not content to be passive in lovemaking, she pulled Faith back up to eye level, "Your turn." She removed Faith's top to reveal pale white skin; somehow, the fact that Faith went braless made her more attractive. Liz had always done what was expected of her, and it was freeing to be with someone who clearly didn't. Her passion outweighed her inexperience, and she continued to caress and kiss every inch of her lover's torso.

Cheeks crimson with desire, Faith did something she never would have expected of herself in her entire life. "Stop….we need to stop."

"What?"

"I can't do this. Not like this. When you're with me, I want it to be only you and me; you've still got a few demons to get past, and I can wait," her voice uttered words as though they belonged to someone else. Was she turning into Buffy? Perhaps all that time had increased her conscience; all she knew was that the two of them rushing into things like this was WRONG.

"I…understand. We need time to think."

"Control our own destinies instead of being controlled by destiny," Faith rambled, putting her clothes back on. "I should go."

"Upstairs. We can talk," Liz got dressed. "I should tell you the full story anyway."

She nodded, "Ok."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Comments/Reviews motivate me to type faster.

Ch. 7

"Journal Entry 150

It's May 20th. I'm Liz Parker, and the craziest things have been happening lately. First of all, Max, who was previously the love of my life, is getting ready to leave for…Czechoslovakia with someone who is not me. I should be feeling devastated; instead, I'm feeling like there's something wrong, something dangerous about to happen. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Then, Faith—well, that is a topic for another entry--finds this strange red crystal while she was out walking, and I think it gave me strange dreams or something. I bet it's an ancient artifact or something. The Native Americans believe in dreams having meaning. Once this immediate crisis is over, I am going to see River Dog. He'll know what this all means."

Liz put her pen down into her journal and closed it, deep in thought. Her dream played over and over again in her mind. She was on another world. Bombs crashed with bright flashes of light and thundering blasts. Distant sounds of gunfire reminded her that she was not entirely safe. The army was breaking through the barricade and would be at the castle any moment. Once the castle was breached, she would not have long to live. A creature that almost perfectly resembled a woman she had known from somewhere, but she couldn't quite place—blond, wispy hair, blue eyes--sought to reassure her. "My daughter, all is not lost. Things are not as they seem. Remember that. Things are not as they seem." With those words, Liz fell out of her trance, compelled to repeat the words, "Things are not as they seem."

"What things?" Faith came over and sat on the balcony next to Liz. "You keep a diary?"

"A journal. I'm into the whole science thing, remember. And I don't know what things. Last night, after we went to bed, I had the strangest dreams."

"Explain."

"I think it was that red crystal you found. Where did you get it again?"

Faith's eyes glazed over slightly, "Um, in the forest, why? What exactly did this crystal do?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but I think I saw Max's home planet. Impossible, right?"

"Hon, the first thing I ever learned was that the impossible is very possible. So, if you want me to tell you you're crazy, you're barking up the wrong tree," Faith was blunt without giving up a whole lot of information.

She couldn't explain it, but hearing those words just lifted her spirits up to the heavens. Faith trusted her, believed in her, just as she had thought Max had. Liz moved to embrace her with a passionate, forceful, yet inexperienced kiss.

Faith's entire body trembled with desire. It took every ounce of willpower she had to pull away, "We were taking it slow, remember?"

Liz blushed profusely, "I know you're right. It's just, you trust me. I trust you."

"Listen, can we talk about something else?" Faith grew uncomfortable. At some point, she was going to have to explain the Slayer bit and why she disappeared in the middle of the night a lot. But not now, not while there was a murderess to hunt down.

"We should call Maria. If Max is planning on leaving, what about Michael? She'd be devastated," Liz said. Plus, if Maria is around, she might be able to help explain this weird dream. Maria was always into that kind of thing. She smiled in remembrance.

"Alright, what are you thinking?"

"Just how the Sheriff thought Maria was getting high the day I got shot, and it was actually some oils she used to calm her nerves. I know, total non sequitur."

"Huh?"

"Non sequitur: it's Latin for 'does not follow'. I'm such a geek," Liz never wanted to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Faith smiled and shrugged, "You're not Willow. She always said stuff like that."

"Was she your…?"

"Hmm, oh, no! She and I never…I never even thought of her like that," Faith was blushing—a very rare occurrence. "Let's call Maria."

-- -- -- -- -- --

Maria sighed, "There's something rotten in Denmark."

"What do you mean?" Liz caught the Shakespeare reference, but not how Maria was relating it to her current situation.

"Things are not as they seem. Obviously, Tess must have lied, and she's not pregnant. She must be planning this whole return to Antar thing to get him away from you," Maria was always the conspiracy theorist.

"Wouldn't Max know if she was lying?" Liz pressed.

Maria looked at her, knowingly, "Mindwarp girl? Remember? I thought you were the smart one."

"Ok, let's say she's mindwarped him. Why would she want to take him back to a place that isn't safe yet just to get him away from me? Isn't she 'in love' with Max?"

"Who can get inside the mind of a murderess?' Maria shrugged.

Faith finally piped up, "There still has to be a motive. Maybe she thinks she can protect him."

"But he's not safe. I know that," Liz's intuition was kicking in, although just the knowledge that he was with a murderess was enough to give her pause.

"So how do we find them? Is there a spot where they are planning to leave from?"

Maria smiled, "If there is, Michael will know about it, and if he knows what's good for him, he'll tell me."

"Have I ever told you what an awesome friend you are?" Liz gave her a hug.

Maria hugged her back, "You can always say it again. Don't worry, we WILL avenge Alex. You can count on it."


End file.
